Control panel for a vehicle

ABSTRACT

A control panel for a vehicle includes a housing defining a recess formed therein. A panel is movably attached to the housing and has at least one control mechanism mounted thereon. The panel is movable between a first position wherein the panel generally covers a portion of the recess, and a second position wherein the panel generally exposes the recess. Preferably, the housing defines a first surface within the recess, and a second control mechanism is mounted on the first surface.

CROSS REFERENCE TO RELATED APPLICATIONS

[0001] This application claims the benefit of U.S. ProvisionalApplication No. 60/202,588 filed May 9, 2000.

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

[0002] This invention relates in general to electrical control panelsfor vehicles. Most all passenger vehicles are equipped with electricalcomponents which are controllable by the occupants of the vehicle. Theelectrical components are controlled by the manual manipulation ofcontrol mechanisms, such as switches and rotary devices. The controlmechanisms are mounted on various panels within the interior of thevehicle, such as the instrument panel, door panels, seats, centerconsoles, and overhead consoles. It is becoming increasingly more commonto replace manually actuated components with electrically actuatedcomponents, such as for example, seat adjustment mechanisms, mirroradjustment mechanisms, door locks, window lifting devices, pedaladjustment mechanisms, and steering column adjustment mechanisms.Because of the increase in number of control mechanisms, the variousareas surrounding the occupants, namely the driver of the vehicle, isbecoming over crowded and sometimes confusing. The increased amount ofcontrol mechanisms also leads to the placement of some of the controlmechanisms at undesirable locations where they might be difficult orcumbersome to reach.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

[0003] This invention relates to a control panel for a vehicle interior.The control panel includes a housing defining a recess formed therein. Apanel is movably attached to the housing, such as by a pivot. The panelhas at least one control mechanism mounted thereon. The panel is movablebetween first and second positions. In the first position, the panelgenerally covers at least a portion of the recess. In the secondposition, the panel generally exposes the recess. Preferably, thehousing defines a first surface within the recess, and a second controlmechanism is mounted on the first surface.

[0004] Various objects and advantages of this invention will becomeapparent to those skilled in the art from the following detaileddescription of the preferred embodiment, when read in light of theaccompanying drawings.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

[0005]FIG. 1 is a side elevational view of a vehicle door panel havingthe control panel of the present invention mounted thereon.

[0006]FIG. 2 is a perspective view of the control panel of FIG. 1,wherein the door panel is in its closed position.

[0007]FIG. 3 is a perspective view of the control panel of FIG. 1,wherein the door panel is in its open position.

[0008]FIG. 4 is cross-sectional view of the control panel taken alongLine 4-4 in FIG. 2.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

[0009] Referring now to the drawings, there is illustrated in FIGS. 1and 2 a control panel, indicated generally at 10, in accordance with thepresent invention. As will be described below, the control panel 10includes a plurality of controls for controlling various electricalcomponents or accessories of the vehicle, such as seats, mirrors,windows, door locks, pedal adjustment mechanisms, and steering columnadjustment mechanisms.

[0010] The control panel 10 is preferably located at a location which isconvenient for the user or occupant of the vehicle. For example, thecontrol panel 10 is preferably located and incorporated into an armrest14 of a vehicle door trim panel 16, as best shown in FIGS. 1 through 3.Of course, the control panel 10 can be located anywhere within theinterior, such as an instrument panel, center console, or overheadconsole.

[0011] The control panel generally includes a housing 18, as best shownin FIG. 4. The housing 18 can be any suitable structure for containingand mounting the components of the control panel 10. For example, thehousing 18 can be integrally formed in the armrest 14 of the door trimpanel 16. The housing 18 can be a separate module or can be integrallyformed in an interior trim panel. As shown in FIG. 4, the housing 18includes a generally vertical outboard panel 20 having an inner surface22. The panel 20 can be separate or formed from part of the door trimpanel 16. The housing 18 also includes a bottom panel 24 having asurface 26, and a generally vertical inboard panel 28 having an innersurface 30. The surfaces 22, 26, and 30 define a recess 32. The recess32 is also defined by end walls 34 and 36, as shown in FIG. 3. Therecess 32 can have any suitable shape, but preferably conforms to theshape of the armrest 14. The recess 32 is located underneath a topsurface 38 of the armrest 14.

[0012] The control panel 10 further includes an access or door panel 40which is movably mounted on the housing 18. Preferably, the door panel40 is pivotally mounted on the housing 18 by one or more hinges 42. Asbest shown in FIG. 4, the hinges are mounted adjacent the outboard panel20. Of course, the panel 40 can be pivotally mounted on the housing 18by any suitable manner. The panel 40 is movable between a normallyclosed position, as shown in FIGS. 1 and 2, and an open position, asshown in FIGS. 3 and 4, as indicated by phantom lines 40a in FIG. 4. Inthe closed position, the panel 40 is positioned generally above andsubstantially closes off the open upper portion of the recess 32. Ofcourse, the control panel 10 may be configured such that the panel 40only partially covers the recess 32, for example, if the opening of therecess 32 is larger than the panel 40. In the open position, the panel40 generally exposes the opening of the recess 32 to permit easy accessto control mechanisms mounted therein which are normally hidden fromview when the panel 40 is in its closed position, as will be explainedbelow. Although the panel 40 is shown and described as being pivotallymounted on the housing 18, the panel 40 can be movably mounted by anysuitable structure, such as be a sliding, rotating, or a rollingapparatus. Also, the panel 40 could be pivotally mounted at any suitablelocation, such as by hinges (not shown) mounted on the end wall 36 suchthat the panel flips forward instead of from the side, as shown in FIGS.3 and 4.

[0013] The control panel 10 includes a first bank of control mechanismsor controls, indicated generally at 44, which are mounted on and extendupwardly from a top surface 46 of the panel 40. Preferably, the topsurface 46 of the panel 40 is flush and generally co-planar with thesurface 38 of the armrest 14. The controls mechanisms can be anysuitable control mechanism, such as an electrical switch, button, slide,toggle, or rotary knob which controls a corresponding electricalcomponents of the vehicle. The control mechanism can also be amechanically actuated mechanisms such as a cable connected knob forcontrolling a side view mirror assembly (not shown).

[0014] Preferably, the first bank of controls 44 includes controlmechanisms which are frequently used by the driver or passenger of thevehicle since the panel 40 is normally in its closed position. Forexample, the bank of controls 44 can include a side view mirrorselection switch 50 (left and right) and a four way position controlknob 52 for controlling the position of a side view mirror (not shown).The bank of controls 44 can also include a power door lock/unlock switch56, power window switches 58, and a push button switch 60 for lockingcontrol of auxiliary power window switches.

[0015] As shown in FIGS. 3 and 4, the control panel 10 includes a secondbank of controls, indicated generally at 70, which are mounted on thebottom panel 24 of the housing 18. If desired, the second bank ofcontrols can be mounted on a separate module (not shown) which isinstalled in the recess 32. Similar to the first bank of controls 44,the second bank of controls 70 can include any suitable controlmechanisms. Preferably, the second bank of controls 70 includes controlswhich are infrequently used by the driver or passenger of the vehiclesince the panel 40 is normally in its closed position, thereby coveringor hiding the second bank of controls 70. For example, the bank ofcontrols 70 can include a seat recliner switch 74 and a six-way controlswitch 76 for controlling the fore, aft, and height adjustments of apowered seat. The second bank of controls 70 can also include a pair ofswitches 78 for controlling heated and/or cooled seats. Also, a selectorswitch 80 may be provided for selectively controlling a four-way switch82, for controlling either the up/down/in/out motion of a seat lumbarsupport or the first/second/exit/set controls of a memory circuit forautomatically actuating seats, mirrors, radio to preset positions, pedaladjustment mechanisms, and/or steering column adjustment mechanisms. Ofcourse, the first and second banks of controls can have any otherdesirable controls.

[0016] The bank of controls 44 and 70 can be mounted on the panel 40 andbottom panel 24, respectively, by any suitable manner. Preferably, thecontrols 44 are wired by a flat flexible cable (not shown) which travelsthrough or about the hinge point of the panel 40 with respect to thehousing 18. Of course, the wiring can be routed by any suitable manner,such as through a hollow hinge member (not shown). The controls 44 and70 can be connected with a multiplex bus wiring scheme or using a directconnection, but can be wired by any suitable manner.

[0017] The controls 44 and 70 can also be connected using radiofrequency (RF) transmitters. The receiver can be a separate dedicatedreceiver for the controls 44 and 70 or an existing receiver for a remotekeyless entry system (not shown) could be utilized. For example, due topossible wear problems with using wires for the controls 44 in thehinged door panel 40, it may be desirable to use RF transmitters.

[0018] One of the advantages of the control panel 10 is that all of thecontrols of the control panel 10 can be mounted at an ergonomically andconvenient location at the forward portion of the armrest 14. By usingthe movable panel 40 to stack two layers of controls, a relatively largenumber of controls can be mounted in a relatively small and convenientarea. Conventionally, the controls in the second bank of controls 70 aremounted at less desirable areas such as the lower portions of the seator on the instrument panel. By providing more frequently used controlson the exposed surface 46 of the panel 40 when in its closed position,the user only has to open the panel 40 a generally infrequent number oftimes when the second bank of controls 40 are used.

[0019] The control panel 10 can also be configured so that a portion ofthe control mechanisms 44 are not independent switches but are movableknobs which when depressed or otherwise controlled, physically engageone of the controls 70 directly underneath. A separate indicator switch(not shown) can be installed between the panel 40 and the housing 18 toindicate whether the panel 40 is in its open or closed position.

[0020] The control panel 10 may also include a foam pad 89 mounted onthe underside of panel 40 to protect the second bank of controls 70 if,for example, the panel 40 is depressed downward too far and hits theupper portions of the second bank of controls 70.

[0021] Although the control panel is shown and described as beinghorizontally mounted on the armrest 14, the control panel 10 could bemounted vertically, for example, on the door trim panel 12, with thepanel 40 being movable to position to provide access the second bank ofcontrol 70.

[0022] The present invention also includes a method of installing thecontrol panel 10 in a vehicle. The first step of installing the controlpanel 10 is to select a location in the vehicle interior which providesa convenient location for a user, such as the driver, to access aplurality of control mechanisms which operate various vehiclecomponents. An example of a convenient location is on the armrest 14 ofthe door trim panel 12, as shown in FIG. 1. This location is generallyconvenient because of being in short reach and high visibility to theuser. A primary set of control mechanisms and a secondary set of controlmechanisms are then identified from the plurality of control mechanisms.For example, the primary set of control mechanisms can include one ofmore of the controls of the first bank of controls 44. The secondary setof control mechanisms can include one or more of the controls of thesecond bank of controls 70. Preferably, the primary set is identified bythe relative frequent use of the control mechanisms. Generally, thecontrols 70 are used less frequently than the controls 44. The primaryand secondary set of control mechanisms are then located and installedat the convenient location, such as mounting them in the armrest 14. The40 panel is provided to cover the secondary set of control mechanisms.This covering provides an advantage of not cluttering up the location ofthe controls with many controls. When access is needed to the lessfrequently used secondary controls, the panel 40 can be moved to exposethe secondary controls.

[0023] The recess 32 of the control panel 10 may also define a storagecompartment 80 or coin/ashtray bin. The control panel 10 could also beconfigured without the second bank of control 70 for vehicles which donot include the accessories associated with the second bank of control72 to provide a larger storage compartment. For example, a vehiclemanufacture may assemble a vehicle having two or more option packages,wherein a first option package includes the first bank of controls 44and the second bank of controls 70. The second option package may onlyinclude the first bank of controls 44 because the electrical componentsof all or some which are associated with the second bank of controls isnot installed in the vehicle. It would be desirable to use at least aportion of the space within the recess 32 as a storage compartment ifthe second option package was installed in the vehicle. The storagecompartment can be simply an open compartment or house another storagemodule, such as for example, a coin dispenser. For installation, thesecond bank of controls 70 can be housed in a single module (not shown)which is installed within the recess 32.

[0024] In accordance with the provisions of the patent statutes, theprinciple and mode of operation of this invention have been explainedand illustrated in its preferred embodiment. However, it must beunderstood that this invention may be practiced otherwise than asspecifically explained and illustrated without departing from its spiritor scope.

What is claimed is:
 1. A control panel for a vehicle comprising: ahousing defining a recess formed therein; a panel movably attached tosaid housing, said panel having at least one control mechanism mountedthereon, said panel movable between a first position, wherein said panelgenerally covers a portion of said recess, and a second position whereinsaid panel generally exposes said recess.
 2. The control panel of claim1 , wherein said housing defines a first surface within said recess, andwherein the control panel further includes a second control mechanismmounted on said first surface, wherein said panel is movable to thesecond position to expose said second control mechanism.
 3. The controlpanel of claim 2 , wherein said first surface of said housing has aplurality of control mechanisms mounted thereon.
 4. The control panel ofclaim 1 , wherein said surface of said panel has a plurality of controlmechanisms mounted thereon.
 5. The control panel of claim 1 , whereinsaid panel is pivotally attached to said housing.
 6. The control panelof claim 1 , wherein said panel substantially covers said recess whensaid panel is in said second position.
 7. The control panel of claim 6 ,wherein said recess defines a storage compartment.
 8. The control panelof claim 1 , wherein said control panel is mounted on a vehicle doortrim panel.
 9. The control panel of claim 8 , wherein said housing isintegrally formed in an armrest of said vehicle door trim panel.
 10. Thecontrol panel of claim 9 , wherein said panel defines an upper surfaceof said armrest.
 11. The control panel of claim 11 , wherein said panelis generally horizontally oriented when in said first position.
 12. Avehicle control apparatus comprising: a trim panel defining a recessformed therein; a plurality of first control mechanisms mounted on abottom surface of said recess; a door panel pivotally attached to saidtrim panel, said panel having an outer surface; and a plurality ofsecond control mechanisms mounted on said outer surface of said doorpanel; wherein said door panel is pivotable between a first positionwherein said panel substantially covers said recess, and a secondposition wherein said panel generally exposes said recess.
 13. A methodof installing a control panel in a vehicle comprising: a. selecting alocation in a vehicle interior which provides a convenient location fora user to access a plurality of control mechanisms which operate variousvehicle components; b. identifying a primary set of control mechanismsand a secondary set of control mechanisms from the plurality of controlmechanisms; c. locating the primary and secondary set of controlmechanisms at the location; and d. providing a movable panel movablebetween a first position in which the panel generally covers thesecondary set of control mechanisms, and a second position in which thesecondary set of control mechanisms is exposed.
 14. The method of claim13 , wherein the primary set of control mechanisms is identified fromthe criteria that the primary set of control mechanisms are generallyused more often than the secondary set of control mechanisms.
 15. Amethod of manufacturing a vehicle comprising the steps of: a. providinga vehicle having first and second option packages, wherein the firstoption package includes a first control mechanism and a second controlmechanism, and the second option package includes the first controlmechanism but not the second control mechanism; b. providing a trimpanel including a control panel defining a recess and a first surface,the control panel further including a door panel movably attached to thetrim panel, the door panel being movable between a first position,wherein the door panel generally covers the recess, and a secondposition wherein the door panel generally exposes the recess; c.selecting one of the first and second option packages; and d. installingthe first and second control mechanisms according to the selected firstand second option packages such that if the first option package isselected, the first control mechanism is installed on the door panel andthe second control mechanism is installed on the first surface withinthe recess, and if the second option package is selected, the firstcontrol mechanism is installed on the door panel and the second controlmechanism is not installed in the recess, thereby creating a storagecompartment within the recess.